Sieve drum installation



Feb. 18, 1969 G. FLEISSNER SIEVE DRUM INSTALLATION Filed Jan. 25. 1968Sheet Inventor: GKKOL D M/5334 54 5y. my a QM G. FLEISSNER SIEVE DRUMINSTALLATION Feb. 18, 1969 Z of 2 Sheet Filed Jan. 23, 1968 Fig.3

Inventor: mama Pleas/ 64 TQAA EYS United States l atent Office 5,57 7/64 US. Cl. 34-122 9 Claims Int. Cl. F26b 11/02; B23p 7/00 ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates to a sieve druminstallation which provides means for supporting the sieve drum duringassembly and repair operations. More particularly, the presentdisclosure is directed to a bearing block or support means secured to aplate of profiled iron mounted on a framework which is disposed on theinner side of the chamber wall. The bearing blocksupports a bearingflange which in turn provides support for the sieve drum during assemblyand repair. Since the support of the present disclosure is secured tothe framework, it can support the sieve drum even when the chamber wallis removed.

Background of the invention This is a continuation-in-part applicationof application Ser. No. 451,275 filed Apr. 27, 1965.

The present invention relates to an apparatus with a rotatably supportedsieve drum having a stationary internal baffle plate disposed therein.The apparatus of the present invention can be used for a large varietyof purposes, for example for the treatment of textiles, for example,drying, steaming, washing, dyeing, etc. textile materials and also forthe treatment of veneers.

The entrainment, i.e., the carrying and guiding of the material .to beprocessed by the outer drum jacket is effected by means of a suctiondraft created by a fan arranged preferably at the side of the drum. Thefan draws the liquid or gaseous treatment medium out of the inside ofthe drum so that, compared with the space surrounding the drum, apartial vacuum is produced in the drum interior. Because of the partialvacuum which is created the treatment medium rapidly penetrates throughthe material to be processed.

Since the suction draft should only prevail at that portion of the drumwhich is covered by the material being treated, the suction draft isinterrupted at the other portion of the sieve drum jacket free frommaterial to be processed by a stationary internal baffle plate. Thisinternal baffle plate offers the advantage that the material does notadhere to the sieve drum at this portion and that it thus can be easilydetached or removed again from the drum jacket and passed to anothersieve drum or to the discharging device. Since the internal baffle plateand the sieve drum carry out a relative rotary motion with respect toeach other on a common shaft, it is necessary to provide for a mutualbearing support.

In particular the following conditions must be met for the bearing ofthe sieve drum and of the internal bafiie plate:

(a) The drum drive has to be led around the stationary baffle plateshaft.

(b) In order to achieve an effective circulation of the treatment mediumthrough the material to be processed and through the drum jacket, oneside of the drum has to be provided with a sufficiently large openingthrough which the treatment medium can leave the drum.

(c) The drum and internal baffle plate and their bear- 3,427,726Patented Feb. 18, 1969 ings are exposed to considerably differenttemperatures whereas the drum drive outside the processing chamber isexposed to relatively balanced temperature conditions. In order to avoidstrain and stresses in the bearings, the changes in length caused bydiffering thermal expansion has to be balanced.

(d) It must be possible, within certain limits, to subsequently adjustthe position of the internal baffle plate.

Apparatus with rotating sieve drums having stationary baffle plates arealready known in the prior art. With these prlor art apparatus, theshaft to which the internal bafiie plate is rigidly secured rests on oneside in a concentric bore of a cast-iron spider and on the other side ina bearing which is inserted in a concentric bore of the driving shaft.The rotatable sieve drum is connected with the sta tionary baffle plateshaft by way of bearings, preferably friction bearings. At its inner endthe driving shaft is provided with a clutch flange which is similar to ajaw clutch in its design. For purposes of equalizing thermal expansionsthe jaw clutch has a certain axial play with respect to the sieve drumand the baffle plate shaft.

These known devices entail considerable disadvantages. All bearings ofthe sieve drum and of the baflle plate shaft are exposed to very hightemperatures and the considerable temperature fluctuations which occurin the treatment chamber. Furthermore, the bearings are exposed to theusually corrosive treatment medium; also contamination and sailing ofthe bearings can occur relatively quickly. Due to the high temperatures,the material for the bearings have to meet extraordinarily highrequirements. In general, the bearings cannot be lubricated. Since thesieve drum rests on the bafile plate shaft, strains and stresses in thebearings might also result in the prior art devices, which are caused bythe different thermal expansions of the sieve drum and the baffle plateshaft. Another disadvantage of the hitherto known bearings for sievedrums is that the rotating outer rings or races of the bearings carrythe total load which, in the long run, affects their loading capacity.Another disadvantage of prior art sieve drum installations resides inthe fact that the baffle plate can only be adjusted and brought into itsmost favorable :position with the drum at standstill. However, whetheror not the internal baffle plate is in its most favorable position cannormally only be decided when the drum is rotating and covered withmaterial. For readjustment, the drum has to be stopped again in theprior art devices because readjustment can only be effected inside thedrum. Therefore, readjustment is difficult and time-consuming with theprior art constructions.

Summary of the invention An object of the present invention is to avoidthe aforementioned disadvantages as much as possible.

Another object of the present invention resides in a sieve drum providedwith drive means in which the bearings are protected against exposure tohigh temperatures and to the corrosive treatment medium used within thedrum.

A further object of the present invention resides in a rotatable sievedrum used for drying goods in which the bearings are protected againstsoiling while enabling access to permit servicing and lubrication.

Still another object of the present invention resides in a provision ofa rotatable sieve drum in which differing thermal expansions can bereadily absorbed without producing stresses within the bearing supports.

A still further object of the present invention resides in the provisionof a rotating sieve drum which can be readily adjusted during rotationto permit an adjustment of the internal baffle plate with the drumrotating under normal operating conditions.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provisions of asieve drum which can be readily assembled and disassembled therebyfacilitating not only the initial assembly but also subsequent repairs.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of arotating sieve drum enclosing a stationary baffle plate in which themutual bearing supports between the rotatable and stationary elementsare so constructed and arranged as to minimize the danger of seriousdamage to the assembly in case of denting of the drum jacket.

Other objects and further scope of applicability of the presentinvention will become apparent from the detailed description givenhereinafter; it should be understood, however, that the detaileddescription and specific examples, while indicating preferredembodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only,since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope ofthe invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from thisdetailed description.

In accordance with the present invention and in solution of theunderlying problems, the sieve drum is provided with at least onebearing apart or separate from the baffie plate shaft, which bearing isno longer exposed to the medium but which is supported essentiallyconcentrically to the baffie plate shaft. In order to facilitatemounting, repair work, and especially replacement of the bearings, andin a modification of the invention, it is suggested in accordance withthe present invention to provide securing or supporting elements for thesieve drum within the device which elements maintain the sieve drumessentially in its working position.

According to another modification of the present invention, it issuggested to mount the hollow driving shaft which supports the drum onthe drive side thereof, outside the treatment chamber concentrically tothe bafiie plate shaft, preferably in the drive housing within which isalso mounted the baffle plate shaft, though the bafile plate shaft mayalso be fixed in a second housing.

According to a further feature of the present invention, it is suggestedto mount the drum on the hollow driving shaft with axial play and,within certain limits, pivotable to all sides, i.e., universallypivotal, but formlockingly in the direction of rotation. In order toensure that the sieve drum can be maintained in its working positionalso on the drive side during assembly or mounting and repair work, itis further proposed to arrange a bearing block or support for thebearing flange which is rigidly connected with the sieve drum on thedrive side which bearing block supports the sieve drum.

In accordance with the present invention, a subsequent adjustment of theposition of the internal baifie plate, also while the sieve drum isrotating, becomes possible Within certain limits if the bafiie plateshaft passes through the drive housing and if the shaft end is providedwith a device which permits adjusting and fixing of the bafile plateshaft. This adjusting device may, for example, consist of a toggle inthe form of a doublearmed lever which is fixed to the end of the bafiieplate shaft passing through the drive housing and which is provided atthe ends thereof with two set screws or similar parts which rest againstthe gear housing.

A significant advance in accordance with the present invention is thatthe device for adjusting and fixing the bafile plate shaft may, at thesame time, serve the purpose of protecting the drum jacket and theinternal bafiie plate against serious damage if the drum jacket isdented. Thus, the device secures only up to a certain predeterminedtorque the baffle plate shaft against rotation and if that torque isexceeded, the bafile plate shaft can rotate thus making it possible forthe internal baffle plate to rotate together with the sieve drum. Such aprotective device is completely new. Hitherto denting of the sieve drumjacket generally resulted in such heavy damage to the drum jacket andthe internal baflie plate that the entire sieve drum unit together withthe internal bafile plate had to be disassembled and replaced with a newone.

It is particularly advantageous to rotatably support the baffle plateshaft on the fan side thereof in an intermediate piece on which also thesieve drum is rotatably mounted, preferably by way of a frictionbearing, and to connect the intermediate piece with the fan partitionwall by way of the cast-iron spider.

In order to support the sieve drum on the fan side during replacement ofthe bearing, it is suggested according to a further feature of thepresent invention to provide the cast-iron spider with a hole or boreconcentric to the baflie plate shaft, whereby a preferably sleeve shapedattachment at or of the drum cross projects or extends into this bore.Also the cast-iron spider may be provided with an attachment orextension which engages in a hole or annular recess of the drum cross.In order to constitute the bearing support of the sieve drum on the fanside yieldingly or pivotably to all sides, within certain limits, it isfurther suggested to use therefore, for instance a hemisphericalbearing.

Brief description of the drawings These and further objects, features,and advantages of the present invention will become more obvious fromthe following description when taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing which shows, for purposes of illustration only, one embodimentin accordance with the present invention, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal cross section through a sieve drum with driveand fan wheel according to the present invention,

FIGURE 2 is a cross section taken along line AA of FIGURE 1, and

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view of the device for adjusting and fixingthe baffle plate shaft in accordance with the present invention.

Description of the preferred embodiments Referring now to the drawingwherein like reference numerals are used throughout the various views todesignate like parts, it may be readily seen from FIGURE 1 that there isdisposed between a left-hand outer wall 1 of a chamber and a partitionwall 2 of a fan, which separates a treatment chamber from a fan chamber,a sieve drum 3 whose internal baflle plate 4, 7 is supported by astationary shaft 5 by way of arms 6. One side or end face of the sievedrum 3 is connected with a drum cross 8, which in turn, is adjoined byor connected to a cast-iron spider 9 and a fan wheel 10. For example, afriction bearing 11 is accommodated with its outer ball face in a holeor bore of the drum cross 8 and with its inner ball face on asleeve-shaped attachment or extension of an intermediate piece 12 whichis concentrically mounted in a bore 13 of the cast-iron spider 9. Oneend 5a of the shaft 5 is rotatably mounted within the bore of theintermediate piece 12. For supporting the sieve drum 3, when replacingthe bearing 11 or during assembly, the drum cross 8 is provided with anattachment or extension 14 which projects into the bore 13 of thecast-iron spider 9.

For supporting the sieve drum 3 on the drive side, a bearing flange 17is secured to the side or end face of the sieve drum 3. The bearingflange 17 is provided with a bore having splines, into which projectsone end of a hollow driving shaft 15 having a ball-shaped splined shaftattachment or extension 15a. The hollow driving shaft 15 is supportedwithin the drive housing 16 by means of antifriction bearings 19 whichhollow driving shaft supports a conventional worm gear. On the driveside end 5b, the shaft 5 is also supported within the drive housing 16by way of a supporting ring 20, and thus outside the treatment chamber.The bearings in the drive housing 16 are sealed against the treatmentchamber or separated from the treatment chamber by means of packings 21.A hearing block or support 18 is secured to a plate 26 which in turn issecured to a framework 29 of profiled iron mounted on or provided at theinner side of the chamber wall 1. On the bearing block 18 rests thebearing flange 17 during mounting and repair work, which maintains thesieve'drum 3 in its working position on the drive side during said work.The bearing block 18 is only mounted to the plate 26. In the vicinity ofthe hollow shaft, the bearing block is in the shape of a halfring whichnormally, that is, when the sieve drum and the drive shaft areassembled, is not in communication with these parts. Only during theassemblage is the hollow drive shaft, or the flange 17, supported inthis half-ring 18 serving as the bearing block. Elements 32 are thesupporting arms on which the half-ring is mounted. The supporting armsare fastened to the plate 26. The plate 26 is neither mounted to thedrive housing 16 nor to the outer wall 1 of the chamber. Rather, it ismounted on a frame 29 of profiled iron mounted on the inner side of thechamber wall 1. This frame has also mounted thereto the chamber wall 1.The drive housing 16 is mounted to the plate 26 by way of bolts 28. Theline 30 denotes one edge of the half-ring bearing block 18. The otheredge is shown by line 31.

Section AA is a cross-sectional view of the bearing block 18 and of thebearing flange 17 of the sieve drum which engages therein. In thisconstruction, the bearing block has two supporting arms 32 which aresecured to the plate 26 carrying the drive housing. The plate 26, inturn, is secured to the frame 29 which also supports or carries theouter chamber wall 1. The frame 29 consists generally of sectional iron.The two supporting plates are provided at the narrow ends thereof with ahalf-ring portion 18 enclosing the bearing flange 17. During theoperation, there is a slight distance or spacing between this half-ring18 and the bearing flange 17 so that these parts will have no mutualcontact. During the assembly, the drive housing 16 is taken off. As aresult, the sieve drum will be lowered by about 1 to 2 mm. and willthereupon come to rest with the bearing flange 17 on the halfringportion 18. Therefore, only during assembly and/or repair is the bearingflange 17 placed into the half-ring bearing block 18 and held thereby.The bearing block thus supports the bearing flange which in turnprovides support for the sieve drum during assembly and repair. Sincethe support of the present invention is secured to the framework, it cansupport the sieve drum even when the chamber wall is removed.

A toggle 22 (FIGURES l and 2) is secured to the outer shaft end 5b ofshaft 5, which extends through drive housing 16, which toggle 22 has theform of a doublearmed lever and is provided with set screws 23 at bothends thereof, which set screws abut against the drive housing 16 and fixthe position of the shaft 5. By adjusting the set screws 23 it ispossible to rotate the shaft 5, within certain limits, and thus toadjust the internal bafile plate 4 which is rigidly connected with theshaft 5.

The cross section of the lever arms of the toggle 22 can be sodimensioned, for instance, by a fracture notch 27, that they break whena predetermined torque is reached and thus release the baflle plateshaft and the internal bafile plate for rotation in unison with thesieve drum 3. The fraction notch shown is only exemplary of the typewhich can be used and can advantageously be disposed in either lever armof the toggle 22. Also it is possible to provide a shearing pinsafeguard; in that case a pin 25 is hammered or driven into a radialbore 24 of the toggle 22 and of the shaft 5 which pin prevents thetoggle 22 from rotating with respect to the baflle plate shaft 5. At acertain predetermined torque the pin 25 is sheared off and the shaft 5is free to rotate.

With the illustrated embodiment of the drum bearing on the drive side,thermal expansions which cause an axial movement of the bearing flange17 can be easily compensated by the axial play between the splined shaftextension 15a and the bearing flange -17. Furthermore, the ball-shapedform of the splined shaft extension 15a, shown in FIGURE 1, ensures,within certain limits, that the bearing flange 17 on the hollow drivingshaft 15 can move to all sides while a form-locking connection isprovided by the splined shaft connection 17, 15a in the direction ofrotation. With the bearing of shaft 5, shown in FIGURE 1, also anythermal expansion between dryer housing and shaft 5 can be easilycompensated without attendant stresses.

Since the two antifriction bearings 19 are accommodated within the drivehousing 16 and thus outside the treatment chamber, it is easily possibleto lubricate the bearings without detrimental effects from the druminterior and thus to ensure a long lifetime of the antifrictionbearings.

While I have shown and described one embodiment in accordance with thepresent invention, it is understood that the same is not limited theretobut is susceptible of numerous changes and modifications as known to aperson skilled in the art, and I therefore do not wish to be limited tothe details shown and described herein but intend to cover all suchchanges and modifications as are encompassed by the scope of theappended claims.

Lclaim:

1. A sieve drum installation which comprises a substantially closedchamber, at least one cylindrical sieve drum means rotatably disposedwithin said closed chamber, said sieve drum having a fan side and adrive side, drive means including bearing means disposed within a drivehousing on the drive side for the driving said sieve drum, said drivemeans also including a hollow drive shaft means, bearing block meansseparate from the drive means and disposed concentric to the hollowdrive shaft, said bearing block means being secured to a plate meanswhich in turn is secured to a framework disposed on the inner side ofthe chamber wall on the drive side, and bearing flange means secured tothe end face of the sieve drum means on the drive side, the bearingblock means providing support for the bearing flange means therebymaintaining the sieve drum in its working position on its drive sideduring mounting and repairing.

2. The sieve drum installation of claim 1, wherein during normaloperation the bearing block means is not in communication with thebearing flange means or the hollow drive shaft.

3. The sieve drum installation of claim 1, wherein the framework isprofiled iron.

4. The sieve drum installation of claim 1, wherein the bearing block ismounted on supporting arms, said supporting arms securing the bearingblock means to the plate means.

5. The sieve drum installation of claim 1, wherein the chamber wall ismounted to the framework and the drive housing is mounted to platemeans.

6. The sieve drum installation of claim 5, wherein the frameworksupports the sieve drum when the chamber wall is removed.

7. A sieve drum installation which comprises a substantially closedchamber, at least one cylindrical sieve drum means rotatably disposedwithin said closed chamber, said sieve drum means having a fan side anda drive side, internal baffle means disposed within said sieve drummeans and supported by a stationary shaft means axially positionedwithin said sieve drum, drive means disposed within a drive housing fordriving said sieve drum including a hollow drive shaft means disposedabout said stationary shaft means, said drive housing separatelyaccommodating said stationary shaft means and said hollow drive shaftmeans and positioned outside of the treatment chamber, said hollow driveshaft means having a ball-shaped extension communicating with a bearingflange means rigidly secured to said sieve drum to enable axial play anduniversally pivotable movement therebetween while providing aform-locking connection in the direction of rotation and bearing blockmeans separate from the drive means and disposed concentric to thehollow drive shaft, said bearing block means being spaced apart from thebearing flange means and secured to a framework provided on the insideof the chamber wall, said bearing block means being adapted to supportthe bearing flange means and thus the sieve drum on its drive sideduring mounting and repairing.

8. The sieve drum installation of claim 7, wherein adjusting means areoperatively connected with the stationary shaft means providing forsubsequent adjustment of the position of said internal bafile platemeans during rotation of said sieve drum means.

9. The sieve drurn installation of claim 8, wherein the adjusting meanscomprises a toggle member in the shape of a double-armed lever membersecured to said shaft means, each arm of said double-armed levercontaining a set screw which operably abuts the drive housing thusproviding for the desired adjustment, and means provided for protectingthe drum jacket and internal baflle plate against damage in case ofdenting of the jacket means, said protecting means preventing said shaftcontaining the bafile plate from rotating with said sieve drum up to apredetermined torque but permitting rotation of said shaft containingthe baffle plate with said sieve drum when said torque is exceeded.

References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 1,145,127 3/1963 Germany.

FREDERICK L. MATTESON, JR., Primary Examiner.

A. D. HERRMANN, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 29401

